Are Beijing authorities treating China’s leading search engine Baidu with kid gloves?

Beijing authorities on Friday ordered Baidu to beef up its advertising business and marketing oversight in the wake of the gambling promotion scandal last month.

But as to what penalties await the top honcho of Baidu, the Chinese government’s cyberspace watchdog merely gave them a list of “to-do” things.

The South China Morning Post reported that Beijing municipal cyberspace watchdog accepted the company’s denial that it was cooperating with gambling operators and its defense that the link of illegal gambling websites had slipped through its net.